A Good Start to a New Year

As we close the last days of 2010, now is a good time to plan our exit from 2010 to 2011. In Psalm 100:4, the psalmist declares that we should "enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; Give thanks to Him, bless His name." As we make the transition to the upcoming year, let's enter the new year with thanksgiving and praise. Give thanks to God for the things that He has already brought us through, and praise for His blessings in store for us in 2011.

Our Original Manufacturer

When a new vehicle needs replacement parts, we can only obtain those parts from the dealer, who orders those parts directly from the manufacturer. In Psalm 100:3, the psalmist declares for us to "Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture." When we fall away from the perfect design that God has ordained for our lives, we can always return to God, our original manufacturer, to obtain the grace and mercy that we need to restore us into fellowship with God.

Joy in Serving God

In Psalm 100:2, the psalmist urges us to "serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing." When we enter the sanctuary, or anywhere that we can experience the presence of God, we should do so joyfully. Our service to the kingdom is not a job or a chore; it's a privilege. Our service, time in worship, and communion with God can be a source of unspeakable joy when surrender our will to the will of God.

A Reason to Shout

In Psalm 100:1, the psalmist declares "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth." When we consider all that has happened this year, both the good and the bad, the fact that we are still here, alive and well, and still able to shout is a great reason to shout for joy!

Baptized in Spirit

The baptism ceremony is time of great celebration, as it is a believer's public declaration that they have accepted Christ as their Savior. In Mark 1:8, John the Baptist declared "I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” The water baptism alone is neither a requirement nor a guarantee for salvation; it's the conviction that a believer has before they meet the water that makes all the difference. Without the inward conviction of accepting Christ, the baptism is simply a public bath.

Unworthy but Grateful

In Mark 1: 7, the apostle recalls the message of John the Baptist; he declared "After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie." John the Baptist lived a righteous life; he dedicated his life to preaching the gospel, urging men to repent of their sins, and baptizing believers. Even with his righteous life, he realized that he was not worthy to be compared with our Savior. In all of our best intentions and good deeds, we too must realize that we are unworthy of God's grace and mercy. Thankfully, Christ has already paved the way for us to receive God's greatest gift; salvation through his Son.

Simply Redeemed

In Mark 1: 4-5, the apostle recalls that "John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River." The fall man caused a break in fellowship between man and God; the preaching of John cleared a pathway to restore that fellowship, but the birth of Christ built the bridge to restore man into that fellowship. Regardless of how good we have tried to be, we must be redeemed to our fellowship with God; as believers, we must recognize that they only way to be redeemed is to accept Christ as our Savior and Lord.

Preparing the Way

In Mark 1-3, the apostle begins his story describing the beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. He refers to the prophecy of Isaiah the prophet;" I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way,' “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” Although John the Baptist was not the Messiah, he played a critical role in preparing the hearts of the people to receive the Christ as Savior of the world.

Higher Thoughts

In Isaiah 55:9, the Lord declares through the prophet, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." The Lord makes His illustration plainly; just as we can only view the heavens from the Earth, we can only imagine the thoughts of God though our carnal minds. Thankfully, we have His Word and the Holy Spirit to guide our minds and hearts to the will of God.

God's Thoughts and Ours

In Isaiah 55:8, the prophet writes “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. We should be glad that the Lord's thoughts are not like my own, as our thoughts are often unrighteous; and rejoice that the Lord's ways are not like our ways, as oftentimes, our actions do not line up with the Word of God. Thankfully, in spite of our thoughts and ways, God continues to love us and show us abundant grace and mercy every day.

God's Perfect Will

In Luke 1: 38, the apostle recalls Mary's response to the angel's prophecy. She answered him, declaring “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” Mary was called to be the mother of Christ long before she was born; her acceptance of the angel's prophecy, however, is the very thing that pushed her into her destiny. Having a prophecy spoken over our lives is only the beginning; to push us into our destiny, God still requires us to accept His perfect will for our lives, which will impact us and many generations to come.

Blessed by Association

In Luke 1:35-36, the angel Gabriel proclaimed to Mary that "the Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.”

Although the prophecy was proclaimed to Mary, the prophecy affected more than just her immediate family; her relatives were also abundantly blessed just because they were close to her. Consider that the prophecy and purpose that God has ordained for each of our lives affects more than just our households. Just as Mary, those around will be abundantly blessed because of your acceptance of your relationship with God and acceptance of His will in your life.

Prophecy of Generations

When God has sent his messenger with a prophecy, it of applies beyond the one He has sent the propehcy. The prophecy is not just for the recipient, but for the generations to come. In Luke 1:31-33, the angel Gabriel proclaims to Mary that " you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” The prophecy of Christ affected more than Mary and Joseph, but continues to bless God's people even in this generation.

No Fear of God's Favor

In Luke 1:29-30, the apostle recalls that Mary was greatly troubled at the angel Gabriel's words, and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God." Mary did not understand why she was called, but accepted the calling and greeting from the angel as God's messenger. When God calls us for our purpose, the purpose He has called us for may seem overwhelming. As God calls us, just as He called Mary, He gives us great favor to fulfill that calling of our purpose.

Called to Greatness

In Luke 1:26-28, the Bible tells of the calling of Mary as the mother of Christ. The apostle recalls that "the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth,to a girl never having been married and a virgin engaged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, Hail, O favored one endued with grace! The Lord is with you! Blessed (favored of God) are you before all other women!" There was nothing special about Mary, according to those around her, but she accepted the angel's call, and was willing to be used for the greatest birth in history; our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!